Amazon push Vitriolic Anti-Bush Book (Vanity)

Amazon | 09/09/2003 | Email

[mattdono]

I just got this email. I have included it as best as I could. There were a bunch of images, but I couldn't figure out how to post just the HTML, so, sorry, but it is text only. I think that a little FREEPing may be in order.

Subject: Save 30% on "Crude Politics: How Bush's Oil Cronies Hijacked the War on Terrorism" by Paul E. Sperry

«Body of Message»

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Dear Amazon.com Customer,

As someone who has purchased books about the war on terrorism from us in the past, you might like to know that Crude Politics: How Bush's Oil Cronies Hijacked the War on Terrorism is now available. You can order yours at a savings of 30% by following the link below.

Crude Politics: How Bush's Oil Cronies Hijacked the War on Terrorism
List Price: $24.99
Price: $17.49
You Save: $7.50(30%)

Book Description
In Crude Politics, Paul Sperry presents alarming evidence that the Bush administration diplomats resumed talks with Pakistani officials over gas and oil pipelines in Afghanistan while the United States was still reeling from the horror of September 11, 2001.

Paul Sperry contends that, true to... Read more

Sleeping With the Devil: How Washington Sold Our Soul for Saudi Crude
by Robert Baer

The Rage and The Pride
by Oriana Fallaci

The High Cost of Peace: How Washington's Middle East Policy Left America Vulnerable to Terrorism
by Yossef Bodansky

See other titles in Nonfiction
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Sincerely,

Tom May
Editor
Amazon.com

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«End of Message»

[mattdono]

I know that Amazon is somewhat aloof in publishing books that glorify man on boy sex, but this "editor" (Tom May) should be personally held accountable for send out such crap.

[Nouge]

Most likely it was just auto spam and that book had the same keyword as something else you bought.

[Shermy]

In Crude Politics, Paul Sperry presents alarming evidence that the Bush administration diplomats resumed talks with Pakistani officials over gas and oil pipelines in Afghanistan while the United States was still reeling from the horror of September 11, 2001.

Well, a gas one Pakistan always wanted for itself from Uzbekistan. So what? I wonder if he uses the word "Unocal."

[Stars N Stripes]

Go to Amazon without logging-in (if you have an account). Then click on the "Wishlist" tab at the top of the page. Check out the only 5 books that show up on the list.

[Stars N Stripes]

Go to Amazon without logging-in (if you have an account). Then click on the "Wishlist" tab at the top of the page. Check out the only 5 books that show up on the list.

[Auntie Mame]

I'm too busy right now. Could you just tell me what those five books are?

[piasa]

Take a chill pill- it's not some evil commie plot, it's based largely on what you've already purchased, searched for, or what you've entered on your wish list and what other people with similar tastes buy.

Amazon.com's automated "Tom May" sent me this today, for example:

***

We've noticed that many of our customers who have purchased The Final Days: The Last, Desperate Abuses of Power by the Clinton White House also enjoy books by Janet Scott Barlow. For this reason, you might like to know that Janet Scott Barlow's The Nonpatriotic President: A Survey of the Clinton Years is now available. You can order yours by following the link below.

The Nonpatriotic President: A Survey of the Clinton Years List Price: $12.95
Price: $12.95

Book Description

The Nonpatriotic President: A Survey of the Clinton Years is a collection of essays covering Bill Clinton's years as president, starting with his inauguration in 1993, and ending with the 2000 presidential campaign. The book examines, sometimes with humor, a wide range of Clinton-centered issues:...

And then it recommended a whole host of nice conservative books...

[marron]

I wonder if he uses the word "Unocal."

We were negotiating with Pakistan for airspace access, and basing rights. We only have a few chips to play with Pakistan. #1 is our ability to keep India off of them. #2 is our willingness to sell them weapons. #3 is our willingness to stop hounding them about nukes, human rights violations, and the like. #4 is our ability to deliver a gas pipeline.

We actually can't deliver on that, no one can. But we could use it as a negotiating point, to tell them that if we get rid of the Talibs, they could finally get the pipeline.

After all, Pakistan needs it, Turkmenistan needs it. Afghanistan needs it. But no one in their right mind will build it. If you want to know why, consider the cost ($3 billion+) and consider the history of the Colombian pipelines, and the recent history of the Iraqi lines.

Any fool with a souvenir handgrenade can disable it, and in Afghanistan and Pakistan there are plenty of both. And Turkmenistan is not a land where commercial law has penetrated.

The only way it will get built will be if you can interest Saudi money to invest in it, to protect yourself from Saudi-funded saboteurs. And even at that you could never secure it, in that part of the world there are thousands of amateurs who would blow it just out of sheer exuberance. Its a cultural thing.

[duvausa]

I went--and I'm outraged.
Out of 25 recommendations there were six books--two by Al Franken, Molly Ivins, Joe Consason, Eric Alterman, and Sidney Blumenthal. the rest were all cds, dvds, household items, etc.
Anyone know how to get an email through to these fair and balanced booksellers?

[Auntie Mame]

Thanks for letting me know. I join you in your outrage. Sheesh! Not even a good novel on the list.

Have you read Coulter's "Treason" yet? Unbelievably great! She has the ability to take what appears on its face to be large, complicated issues and condense it to something easily understood. She's really blossoming as a writer. Each book is better than the last.

[duvausa]

I did read Treason--it was great. Fascinating stuff about McCarthy. I actually thought she was a little over the top accusing the demos of treason--I mean, basically I agree but tho't it a bit confrontational--until I paid attention to what most Democrats seem to be saying about the president these days. Treason seems to be a good name for it.

[Let's Roll]

I went too - nothing but lefty garbage by certified Bush haters. Spent way too much time trying to get an email through to the idiots who setup the generic wishlist. No luck.

Did go over to Barnes and Noble and they appear on the up and up in both the wish list and recommended categories. So let's bump this thread encouraging FReepers to boycott Amazon and shop at Barnes and Noble.

[Let's Roll]

BUMP!

[duvausa]

Interesting about Barnes and Noble.

A lot of writers stopped linking to Amazon on their web pages after Amazon started listing used copies of their books right along with the new version that often wasn't even out yet.

Yeah for Barnes and Noble--thumbs down on Amazon.

[Let's Roll]

BUMP!

[mattdono]

Well, I know that I haven't purchased or even searched for this pap, so there should be no reason why this should have been sent to me.

Also, given what Stars N Stripes noted in post #5 (also see post 9, 10, & 12), I would say that while it might not be an "evil commie plot", it certainly seems that there is a notable bias.

[Let's Roll]

BUMP!

[tang-soo]

Go to Amazon without logging-in (if you have an account). Then click on the "Wishlist" tab at the top of the page. Check out the only 5 books that show up on the list.

I did this and it is rather telling. First I went ahead and clicked while it assumed the id was myself and as expected I found a list of Christian oriented books. I thought, well that's appropriate, they know what I've ordered in the past and assume I would do likewise. then I told the interface, I was someone other than myself, so it took me to a login interface. At this time, I clicked on 'wish list'. I was rather suprised. There were 25 items listed. A bunch of cartoon stiff (Simpsons, south park, futurama , family guy... etc), a couple of Warren Zevon stuff (just passed away) ...

A total of 6 books which are listed here
1) Lies and the Lying Liars ... (Franken)
9) Big lies - Conason
12) Bushwacked - Ivans
16) What Liberal Media? - Alterman
21) Clinton Wars - Sid Vicious
22) Rush Limbaugh is a b f i - Franken

All other (19 others for a total of 25) items

4 Warren Zevon items
1 Ad for Batteries
1 Compute monitor
4 Dinner ware
5 Cartoon videos/dvds
3 Other audio cds
1 Other dvd/video

Pretty telling.

[duvausa]

FYI
I just checked the Amazon wish list--someone must have figured out a way to get through to them--no political books at all. They've been replaced mostly by diet books. Maybe I won't have to stop buying from Amazon after all.

[tang-soo]

Thanks. Could have been random chance when I looked but I kinda doubt it.